Customer Reviews

JVC GR-DVL520U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5 LCD

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The JVC camcorder has a still image resolution 2.56 times
better than the Canon ZR45. Also, the JVC has more CCD pixels
(680K vs 460K). However, the Canon has a better zoom system but
you can only tell the difference between both cameras for
scenes that require more than 25x or 30x of zooming (which
happen probably less than 5% of the times if you plan to use
your camcorder for family, kids, trips, etc.). So, for situations
in which your zooming is less than say 25x the JVC does better,
for extreme zooming the Canon does better. The Canon stills are
only 480x640 which are ok for email but poor quality if you plan
to print them. The JVC takes stills with 1024x760 (i.e., 2.56 times
more resolution than the Canon)

I have been shopping around for a digital camcorder for some time now and recently bought this model. I have never owned a camcorder before and didn't have a lot to spend. I am completely pleased with this camera. I'm not an expert and I am using this for home use, mainly for family occasions. For what I need it for, it couldn't be better for the price. Sound quality is excellent, clear and no motor noise. In average to low light settings the picture quality is also great. No lines or color spots. The controls are easy to use and I was filming after only briefly reading the instruction booklet. I have not yet tried the NightAlive feature. But the regular setting films great in the house at night under low lights and that's really what I expect to use it most for. Outdoors in the day of course the color is great. I hooked it right up to my TV with no fuss for playback. Only thing I might ask for is a more powerful optical zoom for use outdoors. 10x is just enough. More might come in handy. I expect that once I get the hang of the manual controls and the neat editing features I'll probably like it even more. A professional camera this is not, but for a regular person on a budget like me, it's just what you need.

Looking for my first ever video camera, I stumbled upon this 520A JVC, looks sleek, light weight, fair functionability, 800 000 pixels for digital stills (which is not bad for it's price).

Compared to the sony at a similar price range, it lacked a few added extras which some may find useful :
1. Mpeg (not particularly that useful I suppose if you have firewire)
2. Night scope (the JVC does NOT COmpare to sony's night vision! - it just decreases shutter speed)
3. Battery life - I think that the sony stamina battery lasts a lot longer than the jvc pack.
4. Quality of video - this is debatable - I couldn't tell the diffirence though I was told that sony has a better colour.
5. USB streaming
6. B&W viewer - it's quite annoying if you're used to a colour viewer. The LCD screen however is very clear. The sony has a TFT active matrix which may be slightly better. I was told that the LCD screen has a shorter life-span.

Compared to the Canon ZX5series - some also have an SD Card, the JVC is cheaper, looks sleeker (I think) but similar otherwise.

The SD card is very useful - I wouldn't buy one without a card. The battery life could be better. I think it's closer to 1 hour recording time. Even the so called "stamina" battery (which was not original) only lasted <1hr recording time.

Apart from the above, I feel satisfied with my purchase. I bought it in singapore and it was the cheapest of the digital cameras with similar functionality.

I bought the JVC DVL520 and I took it back next day. My main complaint was in low light conditions, there were vertical lines appearing on the screen. It wasn't overly obvious but very distracting nontheless. I tried to correct it by manually adjusting each individual settings but nothing worked. The picture quality was not too bad in bright conditions, but in darker conditions i was not prepared to just accept it. After all I spent AUD$1450 on a camera and I'd better get what I pay for. It was a shame because the size and shape of the 520 was really good plus some nice features too. Anyway I took it back to the shop and bought the Sony TRV18 instead. Sure it was a more expensive camera but truly worth it. Pictue quality was almost DVD-like but no vertical lines at all -even in dark conditions (perhaps a little grainy). I wouldn't recommend the 520 unless you will be taking videos outdoors exclusively.

I bought this camcorder AFTER I had my Canon ZR45MC. If you read some other reviews complaining the low light recording functions of this camcorder, let me tell you it is not that bad. I tried both video and still photo in my dining room with only 4x15 watts lights. The result was very pleasant. Comparing to the Canon ZR45MC I had, it was much better. The Canon produces very grainly images with many color dots all over the pictures (video noise), while this JVC did very well. I am replacing the Canon with this JVC for exactly this reason - low light performance. I cannot give it a 5-star because its black and white view finder, 10x optical zooming and no AD converter. On the other hand, Canon ZR45MC has 18x optical zooming, color view finder and AD converter, but for more money.

The JVC DVL520U digital video camera is the central camera in the JVC 320U, 520U, and 720U line. Each of these cameras offers the same basic technology with varying features. The 520U shares the same remote as the 320U. The 720U remote contains more functionality. The 520U remote contains all the usual basic capabilities, including rewind, fast forward, playback, record, etc. The 520U also shares the same memory card as the 720U, which is 8Mb in size. The raw technology of all these units is essentially the same. What differentiate them are the features JVC activates and implements in each model.

The 520U specifications are as follows:

- 680,000 pixel CCD (1/4")
- 110,000 pixel, 2.5" LCD monitor (270 degree rotation)
- F1.8 lens
- B/W viewfinder
- Night Alive full color low light recording
- 10x optical zoom
- 700x digital zoom
- PCM stereo audio
- 16x9 squeeze mode
- 1024 x 768 digital stills
- Picture stabilization
- SD/multimedia card
- USB interface
- DV input/output
- S-video and A/V output terminals
- Audio dubbing
- Numerous fades, wipes, and effects

The 520U provides very good features and functionality for a miniDV camera in its price range. Not all features work as well as other manufacturers. Picture stabilization, for instance, is much better on the Sony models than this camera. Night Vision is also not that useful for moving images in very low light conditions. I tried shooting a fireworks display using the Night Vision feature. An image was accumulated and stored by the CCD about every 1/2 second, making the outcome choppy and unusable.

The software bundle provided with the camera is excellent and a USB driver is provided. It's very easy to transfer pictures from the camera to the computer. With the proper editing cable (not supplied), video can be edited on a computer with excellent results. An audio/video cable is provided, which enables viewing and transferring video. A USB cable is provided to transfer images from the video card to a computer.

The 520U is capable of storing pictures to either a memory card or video. A snapshot button enables the shutter to operate. If you're new to this capability, be aware that at this time pictures obtained using current video technology do not match the quality you will get from a digital camera. Likewise, digital cameras cannot match the quality of video recorded on a miniDV camera. You buy a video camera for quality video, not snapshots. You buy a digital camera for quality snapshots, not video.

Regardless, the 520U delivers adequately usable snapshots. I like being able to add a picture collage in the middle of my videos. For example, I took a walk on the beach and recorded it. In the middle of the video suddenly you hear the sound of a shutter click and there's a picture of a seagull wading in the water; another shutter click and a picture of a dog bounding out of the water; another shutter click and a picture of a child building a sand castle, etc. Each shot stays on for about 5 seconds or so and whatever sound occurs in those five seconds is also recorded. Later, you can dub audio of your favorite song over the collage before going back to the video action of your family enjoying a boat tour the following day. The creative possibilities are endless!

Pictures directed to the video will be stored in the middle of whatever you're taping. You can also select to have pictures saved on the memory card, which provides the best quality. From the memory card, they can be transferred to your computer. This is a very nice feature. If you don't mind the limited image quality, it's quite handy to have video and picture capability in one small camera.

Where this camera really shines is in video quality; it's exceptional! The miniDV format provides 520 lines of resolution. Color balance is very nice and the internal settings enable you to take manual control of the white balance or set it to automatic.

Another nice feature I haven't seen on all cameras is the ability to correct for backlighting. Let's say you're in a room with many windows on a sunny day. Many cameras will meter the windows and you end-up with the room appearing too dark. The JVC has a backlight button that corrects for these conditions and it works quite impressively.

The BN-V408U 800mAh Lithium-ion battery supplied is the smallest battery available for this camera. Using the LCD display, you will get only about 30 to 45 minutes of record/playback time. I'd strongly suggest purchasing the BN-V428U 2500mAh battery, which can be purchased on eBay for about $30 with shipping (search for "JVC BN-V428U battery"). I get about three to four hours of use with this battery.

In short, if you are on a limited budget and would like a decent beginning miniDV camera, the JVC is a very nice unit. If you have more of a budget, I'd suggest the Sony models, which offer all these features with equivalent or superior quality (depending on the feature compared).

If you decide to purchase this camera, always purchase from an authorized dealer, like Amazon.com. There are many dealers who sell this camera for a lower price, but what they don't tell you is if anything fails and the unit requires service, JVC will not honor the warranty. You must show proof of purchase from an authorized JVC dealer to receive service.

Takes great video in good light situations. Under low light it does a poor job and I'm not a big fan of the build in light (casts shadows; sucks up batteries; limited distance; etc.). From my experience borrowing someone's Sony, that did a much better job. Also, the color seems a bit off sometimes (again, under certain lighting situations). The digital pictures arent' worthwhile (get a separate camera), but from what I understand, that is true with other camcorders as well. Overall though a very nice camera and good value.

Look for my first ever video camera, I stumbled upon this 520A JVC, looks sleek, light weight, fair functionability, 800 000 pixels for digital stills (which is not bad for it's price).

Compared to the sony at a similar price range, it lacked a few added extras which some may find useful :
1. Mpeg (not particularly that useful I suppose if you have firewire)
2. Night scope (the JVC does NOT COmpare to sony's night vision! - it just decreases shutter speed)
3. Battery life - I think that the sony stamina battery lasts a lot longer than the jvc pack.
4. Quality of video - this is debatable - I couldn't tell the diffirence though I was told that sony has a better colour.
5. USB streaming
6. B&W viewer - it's quite annoying if you're used to a colour viewer. The LCD screen however is very clear. The sony has a TFT active matrix which may be slightly better. I was told that the LCD screen has a shorter life-span.

Compared to the Canon MV550 - which also has an SD Card, the JVC is cheaper, looks sleeker (I think) but similar otherwise.

The SD card is very useful - I wouldn't buy one without a card. The battery life could be better. I think it's closer to 1 hour recording time. Even the so called "stamina" battery (which was not original) only lasted <1hr recording time.

Apart from the above, I feel satisfied with my purchase. I bought it in singapore and it was the cheapest of the digital cameras with similar functionality.

There are many reviews on this DV camcorder at this website and I don't see any need to elaborate the functionality of it. However, I had one terrible experience with this one which is discussed below. I also found by email from three other JVC 520U user that they had the same problem and fixed it easily.
After the warranty is over, this stopped working (no power up). Took it a JVC dealer repair shop (George Meyer, Santa Monica, Los Angeles). He tried to rip me by asking me to pay $275 for labor and $22.00 for parts. I did not repair it from that guy. Finally, I bought the repair manual ($16) and opened the stuff myself. A microfuse on the main board was gone, which I replaced it myself and costed me 59 cents for a new microfuse. Though there is competetion in getting the thing smaller, there is no need to put a fuse soldered on the main board which most people can't even identify/access. If it fails often, let the consumer access it from outside (using a glass molded fuse). I assume that companies do it intentially to help the dealers rip you as soon as it breaks or you will end up buying a new item.
good luck, if you get into the same problem.

I am a TV producer, but I can't always run aound with a XLS-1 with me. This is far the least expensive DV cam I've found, nice basic features, leans a little on the blued and the autofocus is quite slow in lower loght situations. Still, if you want a nice 520 line rez DV cam with nice zoom features and firewire and USB connect capabilites, this can't be beat. However, the prices I've seen here are a bit high, I grabbed mine at BJ's discount for $298 - and I've seen it listed here for up to 40% more. So shop around, it's a basic DV cam that's been discontinued. I love it for the money, but I wouldn't spend $400 or $500 on it. There are plenty of better cams in those price ranges. But if you can get this for anywhere near $300 - grab it. Wou won't be disappointed. I used to pay thousands of dollars more for SP Betacams with less lines of resolution, analog technology and the need to convert analog to digital for editing. Try this baby first.